Beauty
by Tiggy the Hopeless Romantic
Summary: Everyone wants you to see the pretty outsides of things, the pictures on the surface, the carefully controlled facades we put on display for others to see. But what about the beauty and pain beneath the surface? Au. Complete 09.08.08
1. Forward: Seventeen Years Ago

_Tale as old as time  
Tune as old as song  
Bittersweet and strange  
Finding you can change  
Learning you were wrong_

Seventeen years ago, it rained. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz had taken power a month previous. The weather had been beautiful every day since his coronation. But the day Melena Thropp gave birth, rain fell down in sheets. It sent shivers down everyone's back. It was late fall, and cold enough that the rainfall could almost have been snow.

Frexpar was away, like he usually was. The Governor of Munchkinland was usually seldom home. The town gossips wondered where he had had the time to father a child. The bolder old hens claimed he probably hadn't. They didn't know they were correct and they didn't know the horror of the child, either.

It was green. Not a tinge of green either- undeniably green. As if Fate had decided to punish her for her adultery. The color pointed to the City of Green, to the baby's true father. Melena knew she could not let her husband see the baby. He would never accept it. The midwives had left her. She could always claim the baby was sickly and died a few hours after birth. Frex would comfort her, then. He would take care of her, maybe stay home for a little while. Maybe she would then have a normal, healthy baby. A child she wouldn't have to hide.

She nervously bounced the infant. The baby tugged at a curl of Melena's hair. She wondered if she could drown the thing. Or bury it? Smother it? What would effectively kill it but not cause much pain? She didn't want it to suffer, didn't want to hear it scream. She eyed one of the pillows on the bed. She picked it up with a shaking hand. She held it inches above the child's face before throwing it against the wall. She cursed, forcing herself to stand. She knew what she had to do.

--

The mother and child were soaked by the time they reached the city in the hired carriage. She hid the baby in the loosely woven wicker basket. The baby was quiet, luckily. Melena insisted that as the Governor of Munchkinland's wife she had a right to see the Wizard. When the guards told him who his visitor was, he was eager to greet her. He wasn't so happy when he saw her, soaked and distraught.

"Here," she said thrusting the basket at him. "This is yours, and I'm done with it. Do what you will with it, I don't care."

"Melena?" But she walked out of his chamber, back out into the night before he could get a word in. He peered into the basket, almost dropped it but luckily didn't. The green child cooed when he lifted it from the makeshift cradle.

It was a girl, he acknowledged what Melena couldn't. He had a daughter, green as sin, tired and hungry. A daughter that would be his downfall, who would ruin the perfect image of him that Oz had. A daughter no one could ever know about.


	2. First Sight

"Miss Elphaba, it's morning. Rise and shine, dearie." A gentle shaking at the girl's shoulder did no good. "Oh, Miss Elphaba, really. You're getting too old to resist getting up like this. Morning's come whether you like it or not."

"Really Lianna, but I don't see what letting me sleep for five more minutes would hurt!" she groaned as she rolled over, light from her window filling the room. Lianna handed her a robe which made the transition from warm bed to the cold wood floor a little easier.

The old woman raised her eyebrows. "Have you forgotten what day it is today? It's your seventeenth birthday. You have to get ready."

Elphaba froze up, dropping the hairbrush she had picked up. "My birthday... I thought... So Father is coming?" She stuttered through her words, surprised.

"Yes he is, and he'll probably be here before long. So let's get you ready for a visit, shall we?" She nudged the girl into the chair, pulling the retrieved brush through her hair.

It had been seventeen long, slow years since Melena had left the child with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Seventeen years in which the Wizard had mostly refused to acknowledge he had had a child. He kept the girl in an old mansion, used as a summer house by the last Ozma. He'd assigned his two most trusted servants to raise the girl. A man and wife, both of which too afraid of the Wizard to speak out. After a year of referring to the green baby as girl or baby, Lianna had reluctantly named her Elphaba, simply to have something to call her.

The Wizard of Oz kept the house furnished and made sure there was nothing- material, anyway- to be desired. Elphaba had more gowns than she could ever wear, more shoes than she could ever wear out. He visited once a year, every year on her birthday.

And every year it was the same. She tried to be good enough to please him so he would take him home with her. But he never did. He always said the City was too dangerous for a young girl. Told her it would be silly to leave the safety of her home, that she never should. He told her horror stories of escaped convicts and robbers, rapists and murderers. His goal has been to terrify her of the outside world and he had succeeded. Elphaba had never left the house's grounds and had never mentioned wanting to leave- without her father, anyway.

And this visit was the same as always. Garrin, Lianna's husband let the Wizard in, showed him to the formal sitting room Elphaba waited in. The Wizard inquired about her health, asked about her day. "Nothing out of the ordinary, Father. A Robin flew through the yard yesterday morning. He told me he was headed to see his mother out in Munchkinland."

The Wizard frowned. A Robin? A sentient being had actually seen Elphaba? That... that was bad. "Elphaba, I don't want you to ever speak to any Animals. How can I know they won't harm you?" _How can I know they won't tell the world of you here?_ "Do you understand?"

She stared into her lap, dejected. "Of course, sir. It was silly of me to think it would be safe... You always tell me to accept no visitors other than you. Why would this be any different?" But her mood had soured.

The Wizard commanded her to stand, and she did. Her last growth spurt seemed to have stopped. She was tall for a woman, but thin. He would send more dresses of the same size as last time. He motioned for her to sit back down. "Alright, dear. I have a little something for you." From a little box in his pocket he produced a simple blue necklace, a sapphire pendent with a small diamond on either side. He clasped the bauble around her neck. "Do you like it?"

"Of course I do," She didn't, really. It didn't matter what she looked like, so why did it matter how pretty the necklace was. "Father, will I ever get to go to Court with you?"

He froze. She had requested this every year since she had turned six. His response was always the same. "I'll send for you as soon as it's safe for you to come. I would never put you in danger. Are you unhappy here, Elphaba? Where you are safe and clothed and fed?" His comment verged on a reprimand.

"No. I'm happy here." She was lying but didn't want to upset the father she saw on a yearly basis. "I was just wondering, sir."

Convinced that he had once again swayed her from running away, he smiled. "Good girl." He stood up and collected his coat, same as always. "Behave."

"I will." She always did. There was little trouble to get into at the mansion, and she had gotten into any that was there years before.

"I'll have to leave now to make it back to the City before dark." He hugged her stiffly and was gone. She tore the necklace off, running up the stairs to be alone and wallow in the loneliness that she always felt more strongly this time of year.

* * *

She pulled her knees to her chest, trying to ignore the hunger. She had refused to come down for lunch, locking herself in her room. She normally didn't care that much, it didn't normaly hurt her so much to be alone. It was mostly the fact that he always _left_. He never stayed and never took her with him. How could the world be so bad? So many people had to have lives, normal happy lives. Surely she could have one.

But she was terrified at the thought of leaving. Because she _didn't _know. She didn't know what was out there. Her father... surely. He was all she had. She couldn't anger him. She had Lianna and Garrin, of course. They had raised her. But she had never felt close to either of them. Garrin mostly avoided her, Lianna had taken care of her mostly out of necessity.

She sighed curling up in her window seat, finding her place in the book she had been reading. It was nice to escape for a little while... she could dream of friends and freedom and normalcy. She could dream of visitors and people she would meet when she eventually joined her father's court, she would, wouldn't she?

She could dream of haggard young man stumbling into her yard. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was still asleep. The vision of the man didn't fade.

Rebellion seized her as she ran down the stairs. Father had told her to never speak to outsiders, but look at this one? Half dead and beaten. He looked to be able to harm no one, unable to even save himself from attack. "Garrin!" She yelled, "Garrin, please!"

He came running, Lianna behind him. "What's wrong, what hurts?" Lianna was checking her over. She had never been a fussy child, usually only complain over pain. Once she had learned to speak, Lianna could never remember her crying; not even when she had fell from the tree in the back yard and broken her leg. Lianna had set it herself and Garrin had cut the tree down immediately. It was odd to see her so upset.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. But there's a man outside and he needs help." The older couple looked at each other, horrified. Elphaba was impatient. "Please! I think he's passed out. From the window it looked like he was bleeding. We have to help him until he can leave."

Garrin tried to protest- they had been instructed to never bring anyone into the house. But could they let a person suffer just outside their door? He groaned, stalking out the door, "Get a room ready. As far away from Miss Elphaba's as possible."

Lianna and Elphaba got the clean linens from a closet and walked into one of the many unused bedrooms. They had just made the bed when Garrin appeared, carrying an unconscious young man. His clothes were ripped and he was dirty, blood coming from a gash in his harm. His hair was dark yellow, and Garrin grunted that, "The boy's heavy," as he dropped him on the bed. And Elphaba realized he was little more than a boy, about her age.

Her eyes widened a little, and Lianna caught the look. "C'mon Elphaba. He'll be fine." She ushered her away, back to the confines of her bedroom.


	3. An Awkward Conversation

She stared at the door. It was indeed the furthest bedroom from her own at the other side of the mansion. It was late, she had went to bed hours before and was sure Lianna and Garrin wouldn't be waiting up to hear for her to make any noise. She'd never given them any reason to think that she would sneak around the house at odd hours. Then again, she had never insisted they take in a stranger, either.

Feeling bold, she pushed the door open. The room was quiet other than his breathing. It was nice and steady, and she realized he was simply asleep. Lianna had told her he would be fine, and she had been right.

It was odd to look at the stranger. Odd to not know everything about everyone she knew. His features were broad and masculine, but not in an undignified way. Fairer skinned than Garrin was, but a little more golden than Lianna. Purplish bruises had formed along his jaw. His clothing was ripped, but the cloth was fine quality.

It was odd to simply stare at him, especially since he wasn't aware of it. Irrelevent thoughts of politeness crossed through her mind and she set about to straightening the already neat room. It was unused... only two of the bedrooms in the house were normally used. It was generic, had no personality to it. A framed portrait of some unknown woman hung opposite the bed. She straightened it, realized she had only made it more crooked and then moved it back. That was when she heard the murmur of sound from the bed.

She whirled around, settling into the armchair beside the bed. His eyes fluttered open. Blue eyes, perfect blue eyes, she thought. She was again tempted to simply stare at him, to study him, but knew that was probably the least welcome thing to someone who had just woken up. "You're awake," she whispered, unsure of what else to say.

"I am," he said as if her weren't quite sure." The voice was rough from disuse and sleep. He blinked a little, trying to clear his mind as he took in the unusual girl who sat beside the bed he had been placed in. He cleared his throat, and his voice came out much smoother. "I.. guess I should introduce myself?" She didn't respond right away, watched him instead. "My name is Fiyero, Prince Fiyero, if you want to get technical."

"Prince?" She breathed, images of white horses and dragons running through her head.

He saw her eyes glitter a little, caught the sharp intake of breath. "Really, it's not all that." She seemed to deflate a little and he paused before asking, "And you are? Miss..."

"Elphaba." She combed some of her dark hair out of her face. He noticed the undeniably green skin again. There had to be a story there, but he was in no position to ask about it. Either way, it didn't matter and wasn't an unattractive color, just different. She had probably saved his life, and was the only one he had seen. She was very well dressed, her nightgown was of light blue silk and fluttered down to her ankles. She seemed introverted, shy about herself. Had he heard her say more than two consecutive words?

"Miss Elphaba. It suits you." And the name did for whatever reason.

She smiled. "Thank you."

"Your welcome." It hadn't been much of a compliment, but she seemed to take it as one. "Can I ask where exactly I am? And who rescued me?"

She frowned and hesitated. "Just outside the Emerald City's limits, close to the Gillikinese border. I live here, my father's sent me here to be raised by Lianna and Garrin. I saw you from the window and Garrin brought you in."

He wrinkled his eyebrow, not sure he understood completely. "Your family doesn't live here, too?" She got a far away look in her eyes and shook her head. He realized she didn't want to talk anymore, so he decided to speak himself. "Well, I live in the Vinkus. I was on my way to the Emerald City to visit with my younger brother. He's fifteen and has been staying at the Wizard's court and attending school in the City." He noticed her expression change as he mentioned the Wizard but she said nothing. "My carriage was attacked. I have no idea where the others I was traveling with are. I remember waking up near a house and walking toward it, but I fell before I could knock on the door. I'd guess it was your house?"

"Yes." She seemed at war as to whether she should say something or not, but must have decided to. "You were attacked?"

"Yeah. Robbers, I'd assume. They probably only left me because they thought I was dead. They must've taken everything."

She looked horrified. "I... You should probably go back to sleep. I should too. I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night," he said. Frankly, he thought he had slept enough. But she looked tired and it would be wrong of him to force her to keep him company.

"Good night." She forced a smile, but was disturbed. His story had horrified her. She had hoped he would tell her the outside world was really a nice, safe place. Tell her her father overreacted. But he had been robbed and left for dead. With a heavy feeling in her stomach, she supposed her father must be right.

She laid down but didn't sleep for a long time.


	4. Enchantment Passing Through

Elphaba didn't go and visit him after that. For the next couple of days, the elder woman, Lianna brought his meals to him in his sick room. Eventually, he felt well enough to explore a little... he'd never been told anything about the slightly eerie house, but he wasn't a prisoner, either. Surely his wondering around was expected.

The second and third floors were full of mostly unused bedrooms. The walls were lined with portraits and landscapes, all with a somewhat generic feel. The people pictured were clearly never members of the little household, and probably not family either. The first floor was the most elegant, marble floors. The staircase deposited him into the foyer. The front door looked heavy and foreboding, the velvet curtains blocking the windows.

He wandered about. He found a sitting room, decorated in pale yellow and light green. It had the look of a room that was only used at the most formal occasions- the couches might never have been sat in. Of course, even so there wasn't a speck of dust to be found.

He hovered outside of a door marked "music room", about to see what there was to see in there. That was when he realized how _quiet_ the house was. He heard a light thud a few doors away... a sound that would've been to soft to hear in any normal house.

All the same, his attentions were now at the sound. Pushing a heavy wooden door open he came across a very large room, filled to the brim with books. That was where he found the source of the noise: Elphaba was sitting in one of the navy blue armchairs in the middle of the room, a book in her lap.

His entrance had disturbed her and she looked surprised to have anyone walk into her sanctuary. "Sorry if I'm bothering you, Miss Elphaba."

"You aren't." She marked her page in the book and placed it on top of a stack beside the chair. "Are you feeling better?" She looked at the ground, not at him.

"A little." He leaned against one of the shelves. "I was surprised to not see you again after we met." He decided to add the neutral, "But I'm sure you're busy."

"Not especially," she said. In reality, Lianna had suspected the late night meeting and had forbade her from going to see him. But she added, "It's nice to see that you're recovering."

"Uh-huh," he said feeling awkward, not sure how to respond. He was normally so poised, so charismatic. But Elphaba baffled him, made him uneasy somehow. It wasn't that she was off putting. She was just so different. But she seemed at ease here, much more so than when she had visited him. "How old is this library?"

She frowned. "I don't really know. We moved here when I was a baby. Father is always sending me new books. Some from this world, a lot from the other world."

"The Wizard's world?" he asked. She looked at him as if that should have been common sense, but only nodded to confirm it. She ran a hand over a shelf, her hand contrasting against the bindings of old books. "It looks like you read a lot." He pointed to the stack of books next to her chair. "How many books in here have you read?"

She shrugged. "Maybe half of them? I don't really know. It's odd, sometimes I begin to forget I'm just reading. I guess it let's me pretend I'm someone else. But of course I'm not." She studied the titles of the books, not making eye contact. Why was she telling him all this? He was just a guest of theirs, he would leave. Things would go back to normal.

Normal. What in the world was that? If the books she read were any indication of the outside world, she couldn't be further from normal. Normal people did not spend their lives locked up in a house, terrified of the world. She wanted to see it, she did. But how could she? "I wish I could be a little more normal, typical."

"What do you mean?" His hand hovered over her left shoulder, but he pulled it back before he could make contact.

She whirled around. "My father wouldn't keep me here unless he thought the outside world was safe for me. If I could be more normal, I probably would be safe."

His instinct was to comfort. "Nothing's wrong with you. Besides, you said you've been here since you were a baby. You certainly could've done anything wrong back then."

She shrugged. "I'm alone, really. Lianna and Garrin are well paid to be here. It isn't just because they want to be. It's me there something wrong with... I've never met my mother and my father can't stand spending more than a day a year with me."

This time his hand did connect with her shoulder. "Miss Elphaba, really. I don't know your story, but I can't see how have any fault in how you were brought up. I, for one, don't think you're as horrible or wrong as you make yourself out to be. Remember, I'm here. I could leave right now if I wanted to. And-" he grabbed a book of the shelf and walked over to the chair beside hers. "-Unless you want to throw me out, I'm still here." He opened the book, reading the first page. She hesitated, but then sat down beside him, nearly relaxing.

At least, she relaxed as much as she ever did. The book didn't hold his interested, so he watched her instead. She held herself high, not wanting anyone to really see her relax. What in the world had happened? Something had to, probably a long time ago. What had been so wrong with her as an infant to keep her here? Who exactly was this father? He was clearly very wealthy, to keep the beautiful house furnished as it was.

She seemed to trust his judgement, even if she didn't want to. What was it that kept her hidden like this? He felt a little sick at the thought, but he was mostly sure it had to be her skin tone. It was the only thing particularly abnormal about her. Did her father see her as an embarrassment? Some deep dark secret to hide away?

Most likely.

He studied her, watched the way her hair wrapped around her like a curtain as she leaned forward. He wish he could see inside her head.

No one should be kept hidden away like a secret. No living, breathing person should be kept like a living skeleton in a closet.


	5. Snow and Stars

Did you ever wonder when falling snow became so romantic? I always thought it was just wet and cold, but I'm sick today and I've done nothing but watch movies. I watched Rent and The Phantom of the Opera. I Should Tell You and All I Ask Of You are both snowy.. and romantic. And whose bright idea was it to send HIV positive Mimi and Roger out into the snow? No wonder she's dying at the end!

_... but Elphaba and Fiyero are not HIV positive and do not have a Phantom lurking over them. So my use of a snowy night isn't hypocritical... nope, not at all..._

Ahem. I swear I'm not really so loopy. Sickness does that to me.

* * *

That night, Fiyero was deemed healthy enough to join in at the dinner table. It was oddly quiet and no one spoke other than polite requests like, "Could you please pass the gravy?" Garrin was nowhere in sight, but Lianna had positioned herself between Fiyero and Elphaba. The silence made him uneasy, but he couldn't think of anything to say to break it. He also had no idea how his small talk would be received.

Just then, Garrin came in, cursing under his breath. He was soaked to the bone, peeling off his coat. "Winter came early, the snow's deep." He called through the house as he made his way to the dining room. He gave Fiyero a significant look. If the snow was deep, it would be very difficult to travel. The area was rural, and to get to any major city, you had to go over badly mantained roads, possibly deadly in Winter.

Fiyero would be stuck until the Spring thaw. While he was aware his family would be worried sick in the meantime, he would come home eventually: spending the season uncovering mysteries and dark secrets of an unknown noble would surely be worthwhile. Spending time with Elphaba would be _more_ than worthwhile.

There was some awkwardness, to be sure in the following days. He didn't want to startle or upset her and she wasn't particularly sure how to act around someone new, someone her own age(he had discovered they were close to the same age, him a couple months older). Her limited knowledge of people came from the books she read. It left her world views slanted: romance rarely ran as smoothly as it did in stories, and happily ever afters were rare. If the afters were happy, they probably wouldn't be the endings, because endings were seldom happy occasions. The only endings Fiyero could think of were fall outs, separations and deaths. He told himself he was being too cynical. Everything would work out fine. While life was no fairy tale, it was rarely a horror story either.

It was late in the evening, though Fiyero had lost track of days and weeks. Days hardly mattered when so few people were a person's world. He and Elphaba were clearing the dinner table, a task she had done herself since childhood. She washed the dishes and handed them to him to dry, "Tell me something," she said. It was sudden- she had been quiet all evening.

He turned to her, tilting his head to the side. "What is it?" Surely he could answer her question.

"No, I don't mean about anything in particular. I just wanted you to tell me something, anything." He understood then. She had been thinking about the outside world again, it's mysteries. The little passing remarks he made about his life always fascinated her.

But he hated to tell her too much. It wasn't that he didn't want her to see the world, or thought she never would. He hated the look of longing on her face, for things he had always taken for granted. Then he got an idea, to teach her something that she could have. "How about I show you something instead?"

"But I've seen everything_ here_!" she complained, on the verge of whining but laughter was hidden in her voice.

"Trust me, this is a little different." He dried the last dish, putting it away before he instinctively reached for her hand. She jumped a little at the feel of it, pulling away. But then red colored her cheeks and she let her hand hover near his. When he again lightly lowered his hand onto hers she didn't pull away. They walked outside together, in silence. When they crossed paths with Garrin, they dropped hands, though neither could say quite why.

They slipped outside into the emmense backyard. In her childhood, it had served as a fairy world for Elphaba, though as she aged it had lost much of it's magic. That night, covered in snow, it regained some of it. _Since when are you so sappy? _She wandered to herself.

He smiled; his plan would work out. Although it had snowed off and on for the past week, the day had been clear. He pointed to the sky. "Look up."

"What am I supposed to be looking at?"

"The stars."

"Fiyero, I thought you were going to show me something different. I mean, they're pretty but I've seen them every day." He smiled. Despite her initial shyness, she had a spirited streak to her and had grown out of holding her tongue, at least with him.

He rolled his eyes. "Did you ever really look at them, though? Or were they always just there?" She frowned and he elaborated, "Did you know that back in the old days they used the stars to navigate? Before the roads were clearly marked and stuff."

"How? They all just look like bright specks to me. One looks just the same as another. The pictures in the books in the library don't help much."

"Comes with practice. Then you can see the shapes of the constellations. I was never one to learn from books. Life says more. My father taught me the ones you can see from the Vinkus- he never trusted the roads."

After a long silent minute, Elphaba spoke up again. "Fiyero?"

"Hmm?"

"It's cold out here." He touched her elbow and they walked inside- he was cold too but had a little too much pride to admit it. She shivered when they walked in, sliding their wet shoes off. "I should go. You, too."

"See you in the morning."


	6. A Thousand Words

Lurlinemas most have come at some point, but the occasion went uncelebrated. Fiyero didn't mention it to anyone. It was like a ticking bomb. Every day the Spring was closer to coming. Every day he was getting closer to having to take some sort of action.

But at the moment he didn't have to think about that. He could focus on the task at hand, inspired by his most recent discovery: the drawing room. Elphaba's father had at least made sure she would be entertained, supplying her with the never ending library. But he also seemed to encourage her to more artistic pursuits. She had taken to music to a certain degree, but she had no talent with drawing or painting.

But Fiyero did, and now that he had found the drawing room he was eager to sketch. Elphaba was less than enthused to be his subject, but he had coaxed her into sitting for him when he had promised that she could read the whole time, as long as she stayed mostly still and didn't let the book block her face.

He sat across the room from her, taking a piece of charcoal to the paper. Neither spoke. She was engrossed in her book, he was engrossed in, well, her. He'd always liked to draw and had done it alot when he was younger. When he'd been about twelve his father had encouraged him to take up more athletics, which he liked well enough. It was just refreshing to finally be able to draw again. True, he was no artist. But he enjoyed it.

A little while lated, he streached and gave the drawing one last look. Something didn't feel quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. All the same, he finally said, "Alright, I'm done."

"Finally!" She said as she jumped off of the couch. "Can I see?" She was at his side in two even strides- she was tall for a girl and her legs made the distance from the couch to the desk he had been working at short.

He quickly pulled the drawing over her head- he had a few inches on her. "Uh-uh. An artist never let's anyone see their work."

She pouted a little, reaching feebly over her head. "An artist only gets paid if they let someone see their work."

He smiled and leaned away from her, pulling the picture further out of her reach. "So what? I'm a starving artist, drawling for the soul. Besides, since when are you paying me to have me draw you?"

She rolled her eyes, sliding up to her toes to try to reach the paper, nearly slipping due to her natural clumsiness. He caught her with his free arm. She still held her head high. "Starving artist? So you'll be leaving? Because as long as you're here, you're still eating."

Her remark was mostly joking, but he had to ask, "Do you want me to go?"

The smile was off of her face, replaced by a somber expression. She took a step back and came down off of her toes. "No, I want you to stay. I- did you think I wanted you to leave?"

"No... Or I hoped not." _What the hell? _Why did it matter? He would have to go, eventually. _But you don't want to just leave her. You want her to want to be near you. _

"I don't want you to leave," she admitted as if she could read his thoughts, breaking his heart at the same time. Because he would have to leave, someday.

"Then I won't," he said all the same. He closed his eyes and lowered his hand, feeling silly that he still held it out of reach. "Here's the picture. I'm not so good, but you're easy to draw."

She studied the paper for a long minute, scrutinizing every detail. "She looks pretty."

Oz, there were so many things he could say to that, so many thoughts that ran through his head. He picked one and blurted, "She? It's not a random woman. It's you. That's why I had you sit for me."

She looked at him oddly and dropped the paper back on the desk he had drawn on. "You.. you think I look like that?"

"Are you asking if I think you're as pretty as the drawing?" Color flooded her face again, and she tried to stutter a response but it came out on decipherable. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Because if you are, the answer is no." She couldn't keep her face from falling. He gently put a hand under her chin, lifting it. "I think you're much more beautiful than any drawing I could do." She smiled at him, his hand drifting over to her cheek. She rested her own soft hand on it. The moment seemed frozen, perfect.

Until Lianna coughed from the doorway, making her presence known. She had been too late to hear their conversation, but had seen enough. She strode into the room, lightly grabbing Elphaba's arm. "C'mon dear. You need your sleep."

"I'm not a child, Lianna. I can go to bed when I feel like it."

"Really Elphaba, what's gotten into you? Your father put you under my care. I have to do what I see is best for you. C'mon now." Her grip tightened- she could never remember Elphaba talking back to her. The girl was subdued and followed her.

"Good night!" Fiyero called out.

She stopped to look back to him. "Good night."

Lianna saw that the girl was safely in her room and then let the panic take over. What had been about to happen in there? It was plain to see that Elphaba was completely taken with their guest- an attractive young Prince? It was any girl's dream. She seemed to trust him completely, not doubting him. But what did he think of her? Was it dumb luck that he wound up snowed in with them? What did he think about her? Did he mean for her to fall in love with him? Did he care for her? Would he hurt her? When the snow thawed, would he leave her? Get what he wanted and leave her broken?

The Wizard of Oz had given Lianna careful instructions those seventeen years ago. The most important of which was: no one should ever meet the girl. She could have no outside contact. It had hurt Lianna to watch the lonely child. She had thought the rule bordering on cruel.

But that didn't change the fact that Elphaba was different. It didn't change the fact that her father was the most powerful man in Oz, either. Lianna, for the first time she could recall, had no inkling of what she should do.


	7. The Hardest Thing To Do

Meh, I don't know if I like how this one turned out. Not enough action and spends way too much time in Fiyero's head. Oh well, it works well enough. Read and review... my last first day of school ever is tomorrow!

Dear Oz, when did I get old? Don't answer that.

* * *

The thaw was fast approaching, and Fiyero met it with dread. While Elphaba clearly wanted him around, her caretakers didn't. He didn't so much mind the thought of leaving... he minded leaving without her. He couldn't bare no longer having her in his life. He didn't say anything, though. They were sitting in the library again. Well, she was sitting. He was poking around the large room, seeing what mild form of trouble he could get himself into. Which wasn't much. However he did notice a hanging portrait of a stately man in one corner. The golden plate underneath read _The Wizard of Oz. _"Elphaba? How does your family know the Wizard? I've never seen a portrait of him. How did this get here?"

Elphaba blinked. "Fiyero, my father is the Wizard. Why does it matter?" She shrugged. She'd thought he had already known that. "He's just a politician with a fancy nickname. Why is it odd he has a portrait in this house?" She put the book down and walked over to him.

"Elphaba, your father isn't just some random politician. He's the leader of Oz." Fiyero said, a little exasperated.

She opened her mouth but closed it before she said anything. Pacing a little, she finally was able to say, "He just said he was a politician. I figured a representative or something... he never... I thought..." She angrily flopped back into her chair, tossing the book across the room in frustration. "Oh, what does it matter, anyway? Your father is a King and you're still you."

He forced an awkward smile and nodded. Really, no, it did matter somewhat. Comparing the King of the Vinkus to the Wizard of Oz was like comparing apples to oranges. His father was very much a citizen of Oz, and the Wizard outranked him by far. But he had a feeling that that wasn't what Elphaba needed to hear at that moment.

But it did explain a few things. The Wizard was unmarried and never had been, meaning Elphaba was definitly illegitimate. Even if she were physically completely normal, the Wizard would still probably have outcasted her. It was probably the skin that kept him from abandoning her: as much of a jerk as he may be, he realized people were cruel. There was a very good chance the green young woman would get hurt without protection. In a twisted way he was protecting her.

But danger or not, it didn't give him the right to cage her like an animal. And Fiyero suspected that his primary concern was keeping himself clean from scandal.

It put a damper on his plans. He had hoped to approach Elphaba's father, ask him for his permission to take her back to the Vinkus with him. She deserved a chance at a normal life. He could protect her with his status. There would be no scandal attached to it- no one would need to know Elphaba was illegitimate. He could give her some normalcy.

But he couldn't just take her. He would certiantly have a search party after him then. Would he even be able to get an audience with the Wizard? It was difficult and would take months, surely. And even still he would only get a few minutes.

She was still staring at him. He had been silent for a while, his gaze shifting from her to the portrait. "Fiyero?"

He shook his head, snapping back to the present moment. "Hmm? Sorry. It's not a big deal, really. We're the same people we always were, right?"

She frowned, no longer convinced of this. All the same, she said, "Right."

* * *

The sun finally warmed the ground enough to melt the snow and ice. Travel was again possible. They all knew it, though Fiyero was the only one who acknowledged it.

He had to go. He knew it. He also knew Elphaba wouldn't take his leaving well at all. They had grown so close to each other. It was like the addition of another person in the house made her become herself. As if she had lived her entire life without quite living. She didn't know who she was until she had a real companion. She went from meek, a little door mouse to a passionate, idealistic young woman. It was fascinating to watch her blossom before his eyes.

One thing was certain: something had to be done. Elphaba could not continue to live as a hermit, hidden away from society for the rest of her life. He couldn't let that happen to her. There was too much life in her for it to all go to waste.

Too much beauty.

He would have to do something. He hoped the Wizard would see reason. Maybe he would simply permit him to take her. Fiyero didn't even want to bother with asking the Wizard to actually behave like he had a daughter. Just letting him take her would be enough. But what if he said no? Could he run off with her, then? If it came down to it, and she was willing to run away. But that would be a desperate action. The snow was melting, the Earth thawing. He would go to the Wizard of Oz. One way or another he would get her freedom and help her get a normal life.

That didn't change the fact for the moment he would have to leave her. He was a coward and he knew it, but he had no desire to say goodbye to her. He couldn't see her face when he said he would be leaving, even though he would come back one way or another.

So he wrote a letter, left it at her place at the dining table and left, wanting to be far away before she found it.

* * *

_Dear Elphaba,_

_I didn't know how to say goodbye in person, and feel like a jerk for just writing a letter. Elphaba, I promise I'm not really leaving you. I want to talk to your father. You shouldn't live like you do. I want to help you, and I will. However having your father's consent to do it would help me greatly._

_Elphaba, we're going to see the world. You and me. There's no reason for you to be afraid of it. You won't have to wait for me to tell you about something. You can go see it for yourself. You'll come back to the Vinkus with me, as long as you want to._

_Please don't be upset for me leaving like this. There was no other way to do it. I'll be back, as soon as possible._

_Love,_

_Fiyero_


	8. A Mistake

Hello. School is death. I'll probably be cutting back to one update a week, though I hope to do more. Sorry! Hope you all enjoy this one.

* * *

The Emerald City hustled and bustled the way it always did. Everyone was busy, eager to see what there was to see and to do what there was to do. Everyone was happy, looking out from under their emerald tinted glasses. The northern end of the Emerald City was the wealthy area- also the area tourists saw. And they were perfectly content to ignore the dark corners on the Southern Side of town.

Fiyero did not smile like a good visitor to the City. He felt like he would throw up, even as he walked into the Emerald Palace. A young woman opened the door for him- she recognized him, as many women had seemed to ever since he had turned fifteen. The maid was pretty, though her brand of beauty didn't appeal to him. "Prince Fiyero, you're alive! The rumors were that you had passed away in an attack of some sort. The King had all but given up hope for your return."

"No, no I'm fine, Miss..."

"Nyala," she supplied with a beaming smile.

"Miss Nyala. Anyway, I wanted to know if you knew were my brother was staying? Is he here?"

She nodded, showing him the way to a staircase. "Prince Iroan has been staying here during the breaks in his education. He's here on a long weekend. He'll be so pleased to see you, Prince Fiyero, he was terrified he would have to take your place as heir."

Fiyero bit back a laugh. Iroan was fifteen and had been sent to the Emerald City to attend an expensive boarding school, like Fiyero had before him. He was the studious one, though he had also always been bookish. Although Iroan was polite, he did not posses the natural charm that oozed from his older brother.

He was a good welcoming committee, anyway. It was plain to see that Iroan was glad to see Fiyero- and not merely because the threat of being the next Vinkun King was off of his shoulders again. He was also genuinely pleased to see his sibling. Once they were alone, he asked, "What happened? You disappeared off of the face of Oz."

"I was mugged, robbed or something. It was when I was trying to come out here, hoping to make it before Winter set in. I wound up getting snowed in out a house on the Northern border." He hesitated before going on- but if he was going to insist on the Wizard liberating Elphaba, he would at the very least have to tell someone what had happened. And if he could tell no one else, he could tell his brother. "And there was a girl, a beautiful girl."

Iroan raised his eyebrow, smirking. "A beautiful girl? How come I'm not surprised?"

Fiyero rolled his eyes as he collapsed onto the green-blanketed bed in the room his brother stayed in. "It's not like that, man. This one is different. She's not some ditzy society cream puff. She's brilliant."

"Not a society girl? So, what, she's a commoner? Fiyero, what future do you plan to have with this one? It'll be hard to have a relationship with her. Father will expect you to be with someone with good bloodlines of her own."

Fiyero scoffed. "What the hell should that matter? A person's a person, a last name has nothing to do with it? Anyway it doesn't matter. Elphaba is highborn. About as highborn as you can get. More so than the two of us put together."

"How so?"

He hesitated again. There would be no going back if he explained. But what did he have to lose? "Well, maybe not much more than us, but that's only because she's illegitimate."

"Fiyero, there's no way you can be with a girl who was born out of wedlock!"

"Not even if she's the daughter of the Wizard of Oz?"

"What? No way. The Wizard is a shut in and has never had any time for women. No one other than his most trusted servants have even seen his face in years."

"Years. But that doesn't mean never. And he must have had time for at least one woman, though I admit he has nothing to do with his daughter. Elphaba lives in a mansion or palace or something in the Great Gillikin Forest. Her household took me in when I was injured. I stayed the Winter with them."

Iroan wasn't buying it- he could remember Fiyero's tall tales from childhood. Once he had been convinced the family dog would turn into a man every night. He still gave the dog some funny looks. "How could the Wizard manage to hide a child for..."

"Seventeen years? Easy. She's never left the house. He keeps her terrified of anything from outside. It's horrible."

"If she's afraid of leaving the house, how do you plan to have a relationship with her?"

"I'll show her it isn't so bad, that she hasn't been really living until now."

Iroan stretched, opening the window. The day was warming up. "And you think the Wizard will suddenly admit to her?"

"I don't care if he acknowledges her as his daughter, even though I would like him to. I just want to let her live."

* * *

For all his faults, his secrecy, the Wizard's arrangement had had it's good points. If nothing else, it saved Elphaba from being hurt be people. When Fiyero reveled the past to an entire dinner party filled with dignitaries from every part of Oz, the safety was over. Some agreed with Fiyero, believing it all was wrong, thinking the girl should be freed like a caged bird. Others trusted the Wizard, assumed she had to be locked up for some good reason, regarding her presence with dread. Others, the most dangerous merely believed Fiyero was a liar trying to slander the Wizard's name for his own good.

It was this group of people who proved to verge on violent, prompting the Vinkun King to insist that his two oldest sons immediately return home. A war was on the verge of breaking out, though the sides were difficult to see. All the same, Fiyero refused to leave, especially refusing to go all the way to Winkie Country. "Let's go!" Iroan tugged at his brother. "Father says we have to leave- especially you! The Emerald City isn't safe for anyone, least of all you."

"I can't leave her. She probably already thinks I abandoned her!" Some people were determined to figure out what exactly had happened, marching toward the house. Fiyero was eager to head them off, sneak her away before she was confronted. At least show her that he had not merely left her.

Iroan softened at seeing his normally superficial older brother show some real emotion for a change. "You were trying to do the right thing. You haven't abandoned her."

Fiyero rolled his eyes, brimming with self-loathing."Yeah, I didn't abandon her. I just put her at the center of a War that's tearing Oz apart. I don't even know if she's aware of what's going on. She's going to get hurt, if she hasn't been already."

His brother shook his head. "You know we have to leave. You can't be some hero riding in on a white horse, saving her. You messed up, big time. If you had done this some other way, she would probably still be trapped, but safe. I won't lie to you about that. But Fiyero, you have the world's biggest target on your back. Half of Oz thinks you're a liar and the Wizard is probably pissed because you ruined his perfect little arrangement. You'll be the first to die if anyone gets a shot at you. Father will never forgive me if I let you get hurt. Mother won't either."

Fiyero was annoyed- his brother was a year and a half younger, and while Iroan was nearly taller, he was still in the gawky phase that followed a growth spurt. He couldn't _force_ him to leave. "But-"

"Stop it, you'll only make it harder." Iroan couldn't physically force him, but the guards that were assigned to protect them could. He was unwillingly loaded into a carriage, thinking only about all the mistakes he had made.


	9. Aftershocks

A shorter chapter than usual, but I didn't want to break the next update up. Still no Elphaba in this update- sorry. Plenty of Fiyero, though!

* * *

Fiyero locked himself in his bedroom as soon as they got back to the castle. He was aware he was behaving like an adolescent girl, locking himself up and refusing to eat, but he didn't care. His father was angry with him for putting the normally independent Vinkus in the middle of strife in Central Oz. Fiyero wouldn't even look at Iroan. He knew he was doing no one any good by locking himself up, but couldn't enjoy the comfort of his home when he had no idea what had happened to Elphaba.

It had taken a solid week to travel from the Emerald City to the Vinkus. That, plus the time he had spent in the City... how long had it been since he had seen her? Too long, no matter the actual number of days. Frankly, a single day had been too long. What the hell had he been thinking? Was he planning to march up to the Wizard, say, _'Hello Sir, I happened to find your illegitimate daughter locked up in the middle of the woods. I think she's just dandy and was planning to take her back to the Vinkus with me. Hope you don't mind. OH! Could you, you know, tell my dad she's your kid? Because I'm a prince and I probably won't be aloud to marry her if you don't let it be known she's yours. Shouldn't be a problem, right?'_

He was an idiot. A royal idiot. He might have had good intentions, but where did they always lead? To more hurt, of course. Because that was the way it worked, didn't it? The people with all the luck kept their good fortune, were spoon fed happiness. The people struggling, they always were held back. It was pointless to try to move forward. It never worked. There was always someone higher up to squash you back down like a bug. There was no way he could fix things now. If he'd just ran off with her, maybe they could have had some sort of life together. But how could things be fixed now?

He groaned and stared at his ceiling, listening to his stomach complain at him not having eaten in three days. Glancing at the clock told him it was four in the morning- no one should be up. He'd be able to go get something from the kitchen without having to talk to anyone. He rolled off of his bed, putting one foot in front of the other mechanically. He supposed he could have been really dramatic and starved himself in his bedroom, dying and putrefying the castle for his little brother to find- but that was morbid and starvation was not the way he wanted to go.

The kitchen was quiet and he wondered when the last time he had been up and around at four in the morning had been. He ate a tart green apple, enough to sustain him another day.

As he made his way back up to his room he heard a sound- voices. He flattened himself against the wall, hugging the shadows. The last thing he wanted to do was talk to anyone.

"-Your boy really messed things up this time, Your Highness. The Ozians aren't taking very well to their perfect Wizard being reduced to a mere man- especially one with an illegitimate daughter."

"I hear the girl is wrong. Warped, twisted. Her skin is a sickly shade of green, sharp features. She doesn't know how to relate to people, brutish. The Wizard locked her up because Oz couldn't handle the aberration."

"She was abandoned at birth. The Wizard couldn't bear to look at her so he got rid of her, giving her fancy gifts to pacify her, make her forget that she had no human contact. He did whatever he could to keep from dealing with her."

"What the hell was Prince Fiyero thinking, getting wrapped up with her? He's ruined things- no matter what happens it's because of him Oz is divided. I don't know how you can expect him to rule once you're gone. He'll probably want that little wretch for his Queen or something. What's wrong with him?"

"Enough!" Fiyero heard his father's voice cut in. "We don't know what happened. My son is a good kid- and your superior by birth, so I would suggest not speaking against him. He had to have had his reasons for doing what he did, not matter how misguided he may be. We'll keep him here, this will pass."

Fiyero didn't know whether to embrace his father or spurn him- he had stuck up for him, to be sure, but he also seemed dead against Fiyero fixing things. Worse, the other men, his father's advisers. Their words cut like knives. Elphaba was different, yes. But her differences were what made her beautiful.

He ran up the stairs, trying to come up with some better plan. He would leave at first light, no matter what.


	10. The Sun Will Rise

The Wizard's Palace was shockingly easy to get into. The City was divided and half of the Gale Force were being used as Guards to attempt to calm the people of the City. It wasn't working and simply left the Wizard under guarded. Fiyero wondered if it was always this easy to get through the palace, if people simply obeyed commands to not sneak anywhere. That was the kind of power the Wizard had- you didn't question. If he or one of his guards gave you an order you obeyed.

Well, Fiyero didn't. He'd brought with him a sleek hunting knife and didn't want to use it- not saying he wouldn't use it if push came to shove. All the same, he had managed to get into the hallway the throne room resided in without incident. Simply behaving like one belonged did wonders to make others believe you actually do belong.

He was almost relieved when a guard finally stopped him- things had been too easy; if no one stopped him, it would mean something worse was to come. Of course, it was a rather passive guard. "Hey! You aren't supposed to be in here. The Wizard has seeked out sanctuary and wishes not to be disturbed."

"Oh, you didn't know? My father, the King, has sent me as an ambassador for him. We wanted to discuss... alliances." Fiyero stood up straight, praying the guard did not call his bluff.

He didn't. "Oh. Well, if you have a meeting set up... I didn't think he was accepting guests..." The clearly uninformed guard frowned. "He's through there." He pointed down the hall.

"Thank you," Fiyero said as politely as he could, struggling to hide his amusement at the entire situation. He turned down the offer of an escort to the Wizard's chambers. He didn't want a hapless guard to get hurt because of his stupidity if it wasn't absolutely necessary.

The darkened room was not what he had expected- the Wizard was never surprised by guests. The room was like a darkened theatre, hours after the actors had left. The machine that portrayed a disembodied head slumped in one corner. At a desk behind a curtain, an old man sat writing something in a notebook.

With little desire to startle him, Fiyero cleared his throat. "Your Terribleness, you could probably use tighter security. It's very easy for a civilian to get up here, unwanted."

"Who are you?" The Wizard spun, rising to his feet. The added height did nothing for him- the younger man was still a head taller than him.

"Fiyero Tiggular, Vinkun Prince." He took a few steps forward. "I was the one who came across Elphaba and exposed her."

His face hardened. "What do you want? Don't you think you've already done enough? What do you want, money, power?"

"All I'd like is your daughter's safety. I want you to acknowledge her as your daughter. I don't want you to treat her like a mad sister locked in an attic like an embarrassment. There's nothing whatsoever wrong with her."

"I can't do that. The people... They expect perfection."

"Then act like perfection, I don't care. If you behave like there was no big secret, there is no big secret." He rolled his eyes and fingered the blade tucked into his waistband. "She's seventeen years old, make up some lie- say you just wanted to allow her to grow up out of the public eye. "

The two of them stared at each other for a long minute. Eventually, he said, "Why do you care so much?"

"I don't want her to be hurt. I have no idea why you kept her locked up like that, but it was undeserved." He paced a little around the room. "I want you to honor her as your daughter. I want you to have your guards work to control the mob that might kill her."

"Done."

* * *

The manor had been ruined before the Gale Force could coral the Ozians. All swallowed the lie that she had been hidden away to give her a childhood out of the public eye.

She ran out to him, wrapping her arms around her neck. "You left me, I thought you wouldn't come back." She tightened her arms around his neck, eager to keep him there. "People began coming. Garrin and Lianna left, they said they were going for help. I was afraid, but everyone left so quickly, all of a sudden.

He wished she would stop- it hurt to see the fear in her eyes. She felt tiny- she had always been thin and he doubted she had been eating much in the last few days. Her body was still warm, which was a comfort to him. After she had calmed her fears enough, her buried anger flaired up. "Why did you leave me like that? She frowned. "Why are you hear? You left me, and you weren't here when they all came." He felt a stab of guilt- she'd clearly been terrified.

The mix of anger, hurt, happiness, and relief was too much. Emotions were getting the better of both of them"I was just trying to makes things better for you." He kissed her then. It was a mix between the eleation over the fact that they were still alive, that they had survived it all. The fact that they were together again. It was also their first kiss, and as such it was rather innocent, but sweet. He smiled at her when he pulled back, his hand resting on her cheek. She forced a smile but he could easily tell it was fake. "What's wrong, Fae?"

"I just... True love's kiss, you know? I would think it would be able to fix all of this," she gestured to herself, her muddy brown eyes, her gawky, too-long limbs, her undeniably green skin. Red tinted her cheeks, blushing over her belief that it was true love. Of course, it didn't matter as he felt the same way. "Make me beautiful,"

He was shocked, but even so he pulled her closer, kissing her forehead this time. "You are beautiful. Even if you can't see it."

"I can't see it," she said. "I'm odd, strange. No one else has green skin. Not one of the people who came around here was green. No one else was any different at all. Everyone some shade of beige. Like you. No wonder Father kept me here. I can't see why anyone would want to see me."

"Well that doesn't matter. Because I can," He assured her, "Do you need anything from inside? I'm going to have an awful lot of explaining to do once we get home."

"I... I don't think so, but where are we going?" She was clearly still afraid. Seventeen years, mostly alone had scarred her. The world was a place she had only read about, and had been taught to fear. Nothing good had ever come from outside- except for him.

And the thought that a world that could create her handsome Prince was enough to make her believe there had to be some good out there, somewhere. "Home, my home. Our home, if you'll have me."

"I will."

_Certain as the sun  
Rising in the east  
Tale as old as time  
Song as old as rhyme  
Beauty and the Beast_

_**The End**_


End file.
